Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister, as well as Hamas’s military commander.
A statement said a pre-trial chamber had rejected Israel’s challenges to the court’s jurisdiction and issued warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
A warrant was also issued for Mohammed Deif, although the Israeli military has said he was killed in an air strike in Gaza in July.
The judges said there were “reasonable grounds” the three men bore “criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war between Israel and Hamas. Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the allegations.
It will now be up to the ICC’s 124 member states - who do not include Israel or its ally, the United States - to decide whether or not to enforce the warrants.
In May, the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan sought warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, Deif and two other Hamas leaders who have since been killed, Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar. Although Israel believes Deif has also been killed, the chamber said it was not able to confirm his death.
If they don’t comply that is going to play into Putin’s hands and piss off Europe. Trump might do it, but it will probably kill all the international influence the US has in the process.
If they don’t comply that is going to play into Putin’s hands and piss off Europe.
How so?
I personally doubt Trump will comply either. Israel has deep pockets and Trump loves money. But guessing what Trump would do is a very difficult thing to do to be fair. I could be wrong on this.
Pretty sure the ICC warrant for Putin was already ignored by various countries.
